Ray Rice released by Baltimore Ravens, suspended indefinitely by NFL
(Warning: The video above contains graphic content.)
The Ravens have terminated Ray Rice's contract and the NFL has suspended him indefinitely in the wake of a newly released video that shows Rice striking his then-fiancée, now wife, Janay Palmer.
The video, released Monday morning by TMZ, provides new details to the previously circulated video of Rice dragging an unconscious Palmer out of the elevator at the Revel Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City on Feb. 15.
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Hours after the video went public, the Ravens announced that they were making Rice a free agent. Shortly thereafter, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced that he was suspending Rice indefinitely "based on [the] new video evidence," according to NFL spokesman Greg Aiello. The NFL claims that the new video was not made available to it when it previously investigated the incident, an investigation that resulted in a two-game ban for Rice.
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"We requested from law enforcement any and all information about the incident, including video from inside the elevator," the NFL said in a statement earlier Monday. "That video was not made available to us and no one in our office has seen it until today.”
Rice was indicted on third-degree aggravated assault charges in March. After pleading not guilty, he ultimately avoided trial and in May was sentenced to a pre-intervention program for first-time offenders.
Goodell later expressed regret over Rice's initial punishment ("I didn't get it right") and introduced a tougher domestic violence policy. The new policy imposes a six-game suspension for first-time offenders, and a potential lifetime ban for repeat offenders.
Rutgers University, Rice's alma mater, said Monday afternoon it would remove Rice from promotional materials, according to ABC.
Rutgers head coach Kyle Flood, who coached the offensive line during Rice's tenure with the Scarlet Knights, addressed the media before Rice was released. Flood said the video was "difficult to watch."
"As a husband and as a father, there's nothing that could justify what I saw in that video," Flood added. "This is a sad day for Ray and a sad day for Rutgers."
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- Dan Gartland
